Skip Bertman passes away

Miami Beach High graduate
University of Miami graduate

The famous hidden ball trick at the 1982 CWS was invented by Skip. It was a staple at Beach High. Even the signals Miami used when he was an assistant were the same, we used at Beach. One of the smartest baseball minds in the business ever. Plus, Skip had a terrific personality and was hilarious. May his memory be a blessing for his family.
 
Miami Beach High graduate
University of Miami graduate

The famous hidden ball trick at the 1982 CWS was invented by Skip. It was a staple at Beach High. Even the signals Miami used when he was an assistant were the same, we used at Beach. One of the smartest baseball minds in the business ever. Plus, Skip had a terrific personality and was hilarious. May his memory be a blessing for his family.
Without saying too much, Skip was a college friend of my father’s. Legend at Beach High as you know. I think he coached Skip Mart there, no???

May his memory be a blessing.
 
Without saying too much, Skip was a college friend of my father’s. Legend at Beach High as you know. I think he coached Skip Mart there, no???

May his memory be a blessing.
He was Flamingo Park. He'd quip comments from the press box during summer Pony League season. Hard not to laugh. Skip also taught real classes at Beach. He wasn't the PE coach.
 
He was Flamingo Park. He'd quip comments from the press box during summer Pony League season. Hard not to laugh. Skip also taught real classes at Beach. He wasn't the PE coach.
Skip Mart was there when I was there I think. I’m getting so old. I never had him in PE. had Coach Kroll, Sabrisa and Camerote.
 
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Skip was there when I was there. I never had him in PE. I had Coach Kroll, Sabrisa and Camerote.
Skip as I recall taught history. Yes, Skip Mart played for Skippy. Another Beach legend. Skippy was the master of small baseball, pitching and defense at Beach.
 
Skip as I recall taught history. Yes, Skip Mart played for Skippy. Another Beach legend. Skippy was the master of small baseball, pitching and defense at Beach.
I remember Skip M’s dad’s place. My grandfather use to take me in there and would say hello to his friends in the back 🤣
 
I remember Skip M’s dad’s place. My grandfather use to take me in there and would say hello to his friends in the back 🤣
Jim Kroll another legend. He replaced Vic the year after I graduated. All gone. Holy smokes.

Meyer Lansky's granddaughter was in my class. Remember my grandfather introduced to him on a Saturday. I was probably 8. We owned the parking garage in the Florida National Bank building in downtown. All pop said was he was an important man...lol.
 
Miami Beach High graduate
University of Miami graduate

The famous hidden ball trick at the 1982 CWS was invented by Skip. It was a staple at Beach High. Even the signals Miami used when he was an assistant were the same, we used at Beach. One of the smartest baseball minds in the business ever. Plus, Skip had a terrific personality and was hilarious. May his memory be a blessing for his family.

I am Beach High as well, he was my phys ed teacher.
 
Jim Kroll another legend. He replaced Vic the year after I graduated. All gone. Holy smokes.
Kroll thought I was playing rough basketball in the gym and threatened to bloody me in a one on one. Even used a “you people” reference to me. I never forgot that but yeah, he’s the goat football coach at beach. I believe he was at either sunset or Southwest before that.
 
Kroll thought I was playing rough basketball in the gym and threatened to bloody me in a one on one. Even used a “you people” reference to me. I never forgot that but yeah, he’s the goat football coach at beach. I believe he was at either sunset or Southwest before that.
Southwest
 
I know Skip did driver's ed. Maybe he did do PE. I might be confusing him with Skip Brumfeld who took over for Skippy. Brumfield taught one of the sciences.
I had Elston Davis III for Drivers Ed. Talking to girls in the class trying to learn how to drive:

“Swing it on back, baby doll, swing it on back!”

Lol we really live in a different day.
 
Who remembers the old "We all grew up on McArthur" dairy TV commercials during the 1970s?
The commercials always featured local celebrities reminiscing about their life growing up in SoFla,
enjoying McArthur diary products.
Bertman had one of those commercials and this was the first time I heard of him.
Later when I got into sports I grew to appreciate who he was.

Another story which I believe I've shared probably too many times.....after UM's heartbreaking loss
to LSU in the CWS, Skip went on to coach the 1996 Olympic team and they went barnstorming
around the country playing a bunch of exhibition games in the run-up to the Olympics.
One of those games was in Bowie (MD) vs South Korea.
I walked into the Bowie Baysox stadium, which is a mini-replica of Camden Yards, and in the concourse
I see a bunch of reporters talking to Bertman and some small dude who looked like a high school soph.
That small dude was Warren Morris, who had jacked the walk-off HR to beat our guys a few days prior to
this game.
I was still smarting over that loss so I was proud of myself for not saying anything obnoxious to either Bertman
or Morris. Lol.
 
I know Skip did driver's ed. Maybe he did do PE. I might be confusing him with Skip Brumfeld who took over for Skippy. Brumfield taught one of the sciences.

Honestly, it was so long ago I am not 100% sure of what class, but I do know I never had Brumfeld and did have Bertman for a class.
 
Jim Kroll another legend. He replaced Vic the year after I graduated. All gone. Holy smokes.

Meyer Lansky's granddaughter was in my class. Remember my grandfather introduced to him on a Saturday. I was probably 8. We owned the parking garage in the Florida National Bank building in downtown. All pop said was he was an important man...lol.
When he died in 1983, Lansky's family inherited a modest estate valued at roughly $57,000. LE thought his real net worth was more like at least $300 million, squirreled away in Swiss banks and offshore accounts.

Always lived pretty modestly. In the Beach condo where he was residing when he died and, earlier, in Golden Isles.
 
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